Valley Whataburger Restaurants will help kick Hunger Action Month into high gear on Thursday and Friday, Sept. 5 and 6 – giving back to those in need with a special volunteer event before giving everyone a chance to get a free Whataburger with a donation to St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance.

One in five Arizonans and one in four children suffer from hunger. Each year, September serves as Hunger Action Month, with food banks across the country seeking to raise awareness to the problem of rising food insecurity in the United States. And with “Go Orange Day” set for Thursday, Sept. 5, Whataburger volunteers will assist in food distribution at the St. Mary’s Mobile Pantry site at the Community Hope Center in Peoria (14185 N. 83rd Avenue) beginning at 8 a.m. The volunteers will hand out Whataburger backpacks along with the fresh fruits and vegetables and other food items regularly available at more than 40 St. Mary’s mobile pantry sites around the state. Whataburger will also make a donation of 7,000 meals to St. Mary’s at Community of Hope Center.

The next day (Friday Sept. 6), Whataburger will give everyone their chance to fight hunger. Anyone who brings three non-perishable food items (canned food preferred) to St. Mary’s Food Bank locations in Phoenix (2831 N. 31st Avenue) or Surprise (13050 W. Elm Street) will receive a voucher for a FREE Whataburger redeemable at any Valley location. The offer is limited to two FREE Whataburger’s (six food items) per person.

“Whataburger is so proud to partner with St. Mary’s Food Bank during Hunger Action Month to help bring awareness to hunger in the Valley and how we can all work together to end it,” said Whataburger Director of Operations Delson Montes. “As a business that serves food daily, we are committed to helping those who don’t have enough to eat and are honored to take part in the food bank’s Hunger Action Month campaign. We hope to have a lot of Arizonans ‘go orange’ with us.”